alt-J - REDUXER

If any band was going to play about with their own music to this degree, it was always going to be alt-J. An act who refuse to paint within the lines, ‘REDUXER’ is a collection of 11 new interpretations of songs from most recent record ‘RELAXER’, featuring some of the planet’s hottest hip-hop artists and producers. For many, it would feel like a radical departure. For alt-J, it simply works.

From Little Simz verses on a re- energised ‘3WW’ through to Pusha T’s contribution to a Twin Shadow rework of ‘In Cold Blood’, the highlights are plentiful, dovetailing effortlessly with the trio’s textured musical landscapes. Aussie Tuka’s take on ‘House of the Rising Sun’ especially stands out, winding a tale of childhood domestic violence that adds new depth to a track already dripping with gritty realism.

Far from a lazy collection designed to shift units, ‘REDUXER’ is a fascinating project in its own right - proof that ripping up the rule book works.

Stephen Ackroyd